Because the DM confuses herself and needs a timeline

The previous adventuring party failed ten years ago. Several other groups made a journey into mountains after that, but all ended in failure, and the undead and missing persons problem in Crossing grew ever worse in the years to follow. Three years ago, what used to be a growing city was officially abandoned by the survivors, and became overrun with the walking dead. A year after that many of the surviving Goliath herds fled their home in the mountains. The survivors (and later the Goliaths) fled east, founding what they hoped would only be a temporary encampment. Known as Hillsbad, the town has grown, but remains in a state of impermanence, composed almost entirely of tents with only a handful of permanent buildings. The few remaining goliaths reside on the outskirts of Hillsbad, but reluctantly trade with the townspeople regularly for survival at the behest of Lavahniel (who acts as a mediator between the two groups).

Timeline for the DM’s sake:
30 years ago – Wood Elves banished from Cyndrael
10 years ago – Failure of former adventuring group (that Lavy was a member of)
3 years ago – Crossing is officially abandoned by the survivors, communication and trade across Karina Mountains ceases. Hillsbad is founded to the east of where Crossing once stood.
2 years ago – Surviving Goliaths flee the Karitha Mountains, currently reside on the outskirts of Hillsbad.

Ten years ago, a group of adventurers arrived in Crossing, a large town settled in the valley of the Karitha Mountains. With sea trade between the city of Vahemar in the west and Stillport in the east nearly impossible due to the dangerous creatures that reside in the waters, Crossing’s passage through the mountains served as the only way for communication, trade, and travelers to move between the two populous cities— and from there the rest of the continent. The adventurers arrived in Crossing, however, during a dark time. Despite the generally nomadic nature of the town’s populace (merchants and their families would come and stay for days, weeks, even months, but very few people lived there permanently), people from the town were steadily, and inexplicably, going missing. The adventurers met with a distressed shopkeeper, specializing in magical goods and (albeit poor) fortune telling, by the name of Cassandra, who offered to fund their journey north in the hopes that they could find these missing people, and help restore the life (and business) of Crossing. No one seems certain of the details that followed, but ultimately the campaign into the mountains failed, and the party members scattered. Many others have journeyed into the mountains since then, but few have returned, and the situation has only worsened.

Now, Crossing is abandoned, considered too dangerous to pass by all but the hardiest of adventurers. Commerce and communication between Vahemar and Stillport has all but disappeared, and the continent of Quorra stands more divided than it has ever been. Those who survived and fled Crossing founded a small encampment known as Hillsbad to the east of the valley, remaining hopeful that their heroes would return, and unwilling to completely leave their old lives behind. While that hope has faded over time, the encampment has remained— and grown into a small town— though recently it has been struck by the same curse that once plagued Crossing, and townspeople have once again gone missing. Whatever resides in the mountains, it is dangerous, and it will continue to spread until it is stopped once and for all.

The adventure log is where you list the sessions and adventures your party has been on, but for now, we suggest doing a very light “story so far” post. Just give a brief overview of what the party has done up to this point. After each future session, create a new post detailing that night’s adventures.

One final tip: Don’t stress about making your Obsidian Portal campaign look perfect. Instead, just make it work for you and your group. If everyone is having fun, then you’re using Obsidian Portal exactly as it was designed, even if your adventure log isn’t always up to date or your characters don’t all have portrait pictures.